Pare Your Web to OnePage.com

SAN FRANCISCO (05/23/2000) - If you, like me, are no longer impressed with cool but random information you find online, consider this alternative: Build your own portal.

This option isn't as tough as it sounds, and it's much more tailored than you can get even with custom options through My Yahoo or My Excite. OnePage.com Inc. is the ultimate personalized portal. Not only does it give you a catalog of content partners and tools, it also lets you add any Web page, image, or link to your MyOnePage. And it's easy.

Currently in public beta, OnePage is free and compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher, Netscape 4.7 and higher, and America Online 4.0 and higher.

The site has a simple interface that displays windows of information, much like the larger personalized portals. Tabs across the top of the page take you to various subject pages of your choice. OnePage recommends them based on the mini-profile of your interests you offer when you sign up (free of charge). You can add pages anytime by choosing 1 of 14 prefab OnePage subjects, like Day to Day, Communication, Shopping, and Travel. Or you can create your own page from scratch. Simply name the page and add windows from the content catalog or the Web.

You use the OnePage toolbar to add windows, as well as edit, delete, and share pages via e-mail. The Add Window option lets you surf to the site of your choice, then drill down until you find the page or link you want to add. You indicate whether it's an image, area, headline, or table, and the page is broken down into those elements. Choose the element you want displayed in your MyOnePage content window, and it will appear. Drag and drop windows to tailor the look of your page, or choose among three formats.

Many Choices, More Coming

I found OnePage very easy to use. You can resize content windows and equip them with scroll bars. You can improve how information is displayed, like putting needed labels on the prefab Portfolio window, which shows the current stock prices and changes.

You can also add windows with material from OnePage partners such as CNN Travelguide, ISyndicate, MyFamily.com, Priceline, Quote.com, and several shopping sites. You can even add your e-mail in-box--or any other e-mail folder--which is great if you have several in-boxes. OnePage has partnerships with Angelfire, Juno, Lycos, Mail.com, and Yahoo Mail. Some other e-mail systems can't be added as windows, perhaps because they run in secure mode, but OnePage is working on a way to capture that content as well, says Patrick Ward, a OnePage spokesperson.

Several sections are still in the works. Scheduled to be ready when the site launches in July are an Exchange section, where you can share your pages with other members, and a feature that stores all your passwords for secure sites. A Deals section, which promotes special offers by partners, is scheduled to go live by year-end. Also in development are a Search page and a Rewards program that will pay cash when you refer new OnePage customers.

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